Less Than You Deserve
by booishy
Summary: CANCELLED - Raistlin Majere has been a solid antisocial stone and castaway ever since he chose the black robe over the red. Is this changable?
1. Along with the snow

**Author's notes: **this story is not complete, and I currently have no plans of finishing it - I'll leave it up here so people can read what there is, but it will (probably) never be finished or rewritten.

**Chapter 1 – Along with the snow:  
**Raistlin Majere was a wizard; a dark wizard, following Nuitari and clad in her black robe of evil. His goddess, Takhisis the goddess of evil, was his patron. Her source of power: her divineness, her beauty and her power to seduce any human into service was irresistible for most common men, but Raistlin? Not him, never. His power had once been something for her to fear, but did she know? Did Raistlin know?

Raistlin hadn't always been a follower of Nuitari and the empty hole in the night sky she represented. He had once been dressed in a red robe of neutrality, a follower of Lunitari, the blood-red moon. Lunitari was his first choice when he took the test in the tower of high sorcery in Wayreth. But that is a different story.

Presently, Raistlin was positioned behind his desk in his study. His residence was in the tower of high sorcery in Palanthas, the cursed tower. No other wizards had dared go near this tower for centuries, but now – he was the only one with the power to be there. He and the people he chose to welcome.

He was staring into the warm fire in his fireplace, stroking the book under his fingers lovingly. His mind was wandering and it was long since he'd stopped studying what he was supposed to.

Winter was closing in on Palanthas. The snow fell quietly around the tower and everywhere else in the divine, white city. The snow had been sudden and unexpected. Raistlin didn't care much for it, it didn't affect him. His life, his body, his entire person was cold even in the warmest of summer.

As Raistlin thought about this, almost as a confirmation his body shivered slightly and the cough overtook him. He hunched his back and coughed as he cursed his weak body under his breath. No, he wasn't strong physically like his twin, Caramon. The coughing stopped and his mind was left to wander to his brother.

People always said Caramon was the body, Raistlin was the brain. In earlier days, they'd been a dangerous duo combining steel and magic in a fatal way. Raistlin looked down his body on his dark robe. Ever since he'd chosen the life of a dark wizard, the relationship to his brother had distanced more and more.

He sighed and stared into the fire once more. No, he didn't care for his family. His parents were dead; Caramon was in Solace, married to (in Raistlin's opinion) the worst nitwit of a woman he could've possibly chosen.

What about his sister, Kitiara? Raistlin didn't know, or care, where she was or what she was doing. The last time he saw her, she was on the back of her dragon Skie, setting off from Palanthas in pure anger over something he didn't know, or care, about.

His mind was so far off he didn't notice Minos before he stood almost in front of him, clearing his throat. He was violently pulled out of his philosophies and he shot his weird hourglass eyes at the young apprentice in front of him.

Minos was a young man from Raistlin's own birth town, Solace. His hair was dark brown just like his eyes. He was tall and well-built, but not the body of a warrior or fighter. He filled his robe elegantly to say the least, and the young girls in Palanthas gave him long looks at several occasions.

Except from when he was with Raistlin, of course. There was just something about the older wizard that made people feel unsafe. But of course, no one tried doing him any harm; they knew he was the master of the tower and didn't dare insult him.

The young man moved uneasily under Raistlin's stare, shifted his weight and cleared his throat again. Raistlin sighed impatiently.

"What is it that you want, Minos?" he whispered dangerously. The young apprentice almost jumped at the sound of his voice and lowered his head in respect.

Minos had been his apprentice for a few months now, and the boy had still not learnt not to show weakness around his master. He was younger than Raistlin, not so much by years, a lot more by wisdom.

Raistlin had been the youngest wizard to ever complete the test required to be accepted into the order of the robes on Krynn. Minos was young too, but a lot older than Raistlin had been. But he was intelligent and more than willing to learn. In addition he was calm, quiet and full of respect for his master, so Raistlin didn't mind his silent company.

Minos shifted on his feet again and the rattle of his black robe almost gave a silent echo in the quiet study around them.

"I just returned from Palanthas, master," Minos said. His voice was steady as ever, but he didn't meet the eyes of his master.

He'd only done so once, and he regretted it to this very day. The frights he saw in his master's eyes were too much to bear. It was like his very eyes drilled into his body like a bolt.

"And…?" Raistlin asked impatiently. Minos shifted again under his master's gaze.

"There was a wizard," Minos continued slowly. Raistlin still stared at the young man in front of him and Minos felt like he was staring right through him.

"A wizard of the black robed order…" Minos said reluctantly. Raistlin sighed again and looked away with a faint smile that was so rare on his face.

"And why would this interest me, Minos?" he asked. "There are plenty of wizards following Nuitari all over Krynn, why would this particular man interest me?"

Minos shifted again and looked for a place to rest his eyes. Raistlin raised an eyebrow at his young apprentice and rose from his seat. Minos backed away a few steps and the smile danced across Raistlin's lips yet again.

"It was a woman…" Minos said quietly.

"A woman…?" Raistlin asked. He was honestly surprised to hear this. There were only a few women in the entire magical society of Krynn, and he had never heard of one following Nuitari.

"Yes," Minos answered quickly. "She was looking for you. Or, at least that's what I presume she meant; she stopped me in the middle of the street asking for my master."

Raistlin sat down again, and stared into the fire while pondering on this.

"Did you get her name?" Raistlin asked the nervous apprentice. Minos shook his head.

"She said 'tell your master to come see me at the inn night-sky here in Palanthas if he gets the time.'" Raistlin kept staring into the fire while pondering this.

Minos stood as nailed to the floor while Raistlin stared into the fire. After a while he sighed and looked at Minos again.

"Well, I don't know who she is," Minos shifted again. "So I will not go looking for her. She'll have to come to me if she wants me something."

Minos nodded silently. "Can I get you something?" he asked. Raistlin waved his hand in deep thoughts and shook his head. Minos nodded shortly at his master and left the study.


	2. Surprised

**Chapter 2 – Surprised**

Raistlin was in Palanthas. He didn't go into the city too often, he usually sent Minos when he needed something. His apprentice was more than happy to do this for him, and Raistlin had a feeling he preferred the light and warmth of the city compared to the dark tower.

Winter was slowly nearing, and Raistlin had gone to the city for no particular reason. He'd grown restless the last couple of days since Minos told him about the wizard he'd encountered in the city.

The market was open and Raistlin wandering aimlessly around. Sometimes he stopped to look at herbs, bowls and similar things of interest, but he didn't buy anything. His mind was anywhere but there with him.

He didn't really reflect upon it, but people discreetly moved out of his way and kept as far away from him as they could. Raistlin was used to it. To the people of Palanthas he was only known as 'The Dark Master'. That was all they needed (and wanted) to know.

He came to the end of the marketplace and stopped briefly. He stood there for a second, not sure what to do next. This wasn't very much like him, but seeing as his journey into the city had no apparent goal, he just stood there.

He looked around for a second and pulled his cloak around his frail body. The shopkeepers nearby and their costumers sometimes shot glances at him, and Raistlin was amused by this. He let his eyes wander for a bit, when he noticed a person clad in a familiar robe over by a little stall on the marketplace.

It was a wizard of the order he belonged to, the black robes. Raistlin was sure this wizard wasn't Minos because firstly, this person had a smaller frame than his apprentice. And secondly, Minos always told Raistlin if he was going into the city.

The wizard was obviously buying something from the stall and the shopkeeper looked more than a little nervous as he handed the goods over. The wizard turned around and noticed him standing there.

This was definitely the wizard Minos had told him about. It was a woman. And not just that, it was a she-elf. Raistlin leaned on his Magius staff and looked at the elf as she neared him slowly.

Her face was beautifully pale and her eyes were without colour, grey as stone and long black hair was flowing out from her hood. She was a dark elf.

Raistlin had only encountered one of these elves once before, his former apprentice Dalamar. He knew all too well what these elves must feel like – cast away by their people in disapproval of their magical powers, cast away by society because commoners were too scared to have dealings with them in fright of upsetting the elves.

The she-elf stopped in front of him. Raistlin stared into her eyes, and strangely – she held his gaze. This amused him, and his faint smile was there flickering again.

"Shalafi," she said and bowed the way lower rank wizards of Krynn do when they meet a higher ranked member of the order. As for the word 'Shalafi', Raistlin knew this word all too well. It was what Dalamar always referred to him as. It was the elven word for 'master'.

Raistlin could tell by her accent that she was from Silvanesti. Peculiar, he thought. Dalamar was from Silvanesti, too.

He greeted her in the language of the elves, and a flicker of surprised rushed over her face for a second.

"You speak the tongue of the elves well, Shalafi," she said, quickly recovering her cold exterior. Raistlin smiled his faint smile at her response.

"And you refer to me as your master, I was being as polite as you were," he replied. "What brings you to Palanthas, dark-elf?"

Her reaction was unexpected. She closed her eyes and her body shivered slightly and when she opened her eyes again, it seemed they were darker.

"I came here to find you," she said. "I believe you knew my brother, Dalamar." Her eyes sparkled with unexpected hostility. Raistlin nodded and bowed slightly.

"He was my apprentice for a year or so," he said. "So Dalamar had a sister, I never knew. You seem to know me, who might you be?"

"I go by the name of Farahel" She bowed slightly at him again.

"Farahel," Raistlin repeated and stared into her eyes. They were deep as bottomless ponds. He saw beauty, age, wisdom, but also pain and loneliness. As if she knew what he was thinking, she looked away.

"Shalafi," she started but Raistlin raised his hand to stop her. She still had her eyes lowered as Raistlin spoke to her.

"I don't possibly see what I can help you with, dark-elf. My apprentice came and told me you'd asked about me. I don't know what you want and my best guess is that you're looking for information on your brother, but I can't give you any because I don't know where he is."

Farahel looked up at him, and Raistlin was surprised to see the sadness in her eyes.

"I don't want information about my brother," she said. "I want to be your apprentice, as he was."


	3. The Newcomer

**Author's notes:** I know there's no real reference to the fact that Dalamar had a sister, she's just an OC I made up for this story. I'll also have to note that this story is set in an AU, because in reality, we were never really told what happened to Dalamar after Caramon closed the portal and Raistlin (supposedly) died. Just so you keep in mind that this is fiction. 

**Chapter 3 – The newcomer**

Minos was sitting by the window in his master's study. The sun was setting behind Palanthas and Minos had a perfect view of the white city and the sunset behind it. He sat there by the window quite often when his studies allowed him time off. His master had gone into the city earlier, which meant Minos had the tower for himself.

Except for the guardians; his body shivered just by the thought of them. He would never grow comfortable with their silent, bodiless stares from the shadows. His master often used them to send messages when they were in opposite parts of the tower.

His eyes travelled down to the forest walling the tower away from the rest of the city. The magical meadow around the tower was protected by more than just magic. Terrible creatures roamed the forest, keeping out everyone the master didn't welcome.

Minos wasn't too happy living in the huge, dark tower. He preferred the light and warmth of the city, but this was something he never admitted to his master. He longed for the warmth and light of the city, despite the angry looks he got from most of the people there, but the women… He obtained more than one lover in the city, to say the least.

In the faint light of the sunset Minos could barely see two characters come out from the meadow. He recognized the first person as his master, and following behind him, a more petite person, clad in the same black robe, almost stumbling out of the forest.

A swift movement from his master, and he caught her right before she fell to her knees. Minos watched with interest as the person reluctantly pulled away from Raistlin and gazed up at the tower. Raistlin turned in unison.

"You're welcome to join us, Minos." Minos almost fell from his seat as his master's voice filled his head. "Don't spy through windows like a low-class commoner." Minos shivered, and whispered the magical word that would bring him to his master's side.

The person he'd seen from the window was, as he expected, the woman he'd met in Palanthas. In broad daylight she'd worn her hood and he couldn't see his face. Now, her hood was pulled back, and he could see her face. He gasped instinctive as he recognized her elven features. Raistlin sent him a slight scowl.

"Yes, Minos," he drawled. "I see you now recognize her race."

Minos mumbled something under his breath and didn't know what to say. He nodded at the woman before him. Minos had a general fear and birth-given scepticism towards elves; they were hostile and reserved, and didn't value the power and spiritual stimulation magic gave people, even though magic was in their blood.

"A proper introduction…" Raistlin said. "Farahel, this is my apprentice Minos; I believe you've met him in passing." Minos bowed as Farahel did the same, more because of his master's scowl than because he felt he had to bow for this she-elf.

"Minos, this is Farahel. She took the test in the Wayreth-tower this spring." Minos didn't look up at the elf before him. Silence fell for a few moments and a cold win whispered through the valley. Raistlin shivered, and suppressed a coughing-fit. Minos looked up at him in concern. Raistlin noticed and waved his hand at him.

"Spare me your sympathy, Minos; you should be used to this by now." He pulled his cloak better around his body. "I suggest we go inside, Minos should return to his studies and we should find you a room, dark-elf."

Minos didn't look at them before he whispered a word that brought him back to his own rooms. Raistlin stepped closer to Farahel, and she drew back by instinct. Raistlin smirked at her reaction.

"Though I in no way doubt your powers, dark-elf; you do not yet know the ways of my tower, and I doubt the guardians, like the ones your just got acquainted within the forest, will welcome you warmly on your own." A slight shiver went through her body, and she let Raistlin put his frail arm around her waist. He whispered magical words, and seconds later they were standing in something that looked like a combined library and study.

There was a fireplace in the corner and the heat from the burning wood made the room feel too warm. There was a big wooden desk opposite from the wall, it was filled with rolls of parchment, quills and magical devices Farahel had never seen the likes of before. On the next wall there were shelves filled with magical books: Most of them dark blue with silver runes, the other part completely black with no inscriptions. They seemed to utter a sense of hostility, and the room was slightly colder closer to the books.

Farahel stepped closer to the shelves and admired the books, whispering something in Elvish. Raistlin's smile danced across his lips again.

"Are these…" Farahel swallowed and turned to look at him. "Fistandantilus?" she asked breathlessly with genuine fear dancing in her eyes. Raistlin nodded and walked over to stand next to her.

"The blue ones." He motioned at the books to the left. "The black ones are my own personal spell-books." His eyes reflected pride, but Farahel also saw a flicker of pain rushing across his face.

Raistlin quickly turned his back on the bookshelves and went over to one of the two plush-chairs by the fireplace. His body was overwhelmed by a coughing-fit and he almost collapsed in one of them. When his coughing finally subsided, he motioned for Farahel to join him and stared into the fireplace. Her face was absolutely expressionless.

"Power…" Raistlin started. "Power, knowledge, talent… It all has its price." He paused for a second and his every breath came along with a wrenching sound from his chest. He inched his chair closer to the fire, even though Farahel found the room excruciatingly hot.

"I bought it with a great pain…" Raistlin was almost whispering and anger washed over his face. "This body, this frail, weak and limp excuse for a body was the price I paid for my powers." His eyes suddenly shot up and met hers.

"I can see it in your eyes," he said suddenly. "There's something there… pain, a thirst for revenge, anger, wisdom." Farahel lowered her eyes and Raistlin stared into the fire again.

"I do believe you are worthy," he whispered. Farahel raised her eyes and looked at him.

"Shalafi?" she asked breathlessly, but Raistlin didn't look at her.

"I don't know enough about you to know if you are anything like your brother, but I intend to find out," he said and coughed slightly. "Dalamar had great potential; it was his thirst for power… I could see it in him every day, the same thirst I see in your eyes, but you… you don't want power. You're after something else, something levelled. Something closer…" He lifted his head and stared at her.

"I can assure you, Shalafi; we are not very alike, my brother and I." she avoided his gaze and stared at her hands. "My brother lacked a sense of something closer to him than magic."

Raistlin seemed surprised at this inquiry, and stared harder at her but she didn't so much as flinch under his gaze.

"My brother lacked love. And the ability to judge a situation by real values, not just by picking what is right and what is wrong by who's going to win." She stopped herself.

"Love makes you weak," Raistlin hissed and turned his attention to the fire once more. "Perhaps," Farahel answered slowly. "But it does something to you, makes you think before you act, makes you feel different feelings; jealousy, happiness, a sense of wanting revenge…"

"My love can do all these things, my powers, my entire lifework," he shot a glance at the many books at the other side of the room. "They fulfil me in a way 'real love' could never do."

Farahel smiled slightly at this. "That just proves you still have much to learn, Raistlin Majere… about a lot of things." Raistlin chuckled slightly but it turned into a cough that almost made him fall out of his chair.

"But I've kept you away from your rest longer than I should, is there anywhere I can settle in?" she asked bluntly. Raistlin nodded and dried the blood off his lips with a handkerchief.

"Minos," he whispered. A few seconds later the young apprentice was standing in the middle of the room. "Yes master?" he asked and looked at Farahel.

"Could you show our newcomer to the second apprentice-room? I expect she will be staying here quite a while."


	4. Search and lessons

**Chapter 4 – Search and lessons:  
**Raistlin had been tossing and turning in bed all night. He was haunted by several dreams, the first as unrealistic and unlikely as the next. Periodically he dreamt about his childhood years, and periodically something about Farahel and Dalamar, but he could not remember what it was. His coughing had gotten a lot worse too – his pillow was stained with blood and his sheets were drenched with sweat.

It was at times like these, Raistlin missed his twin Caramon the most. Not only for the fact that he'd always made the nightmares go away when he was little, but because he'd known exactly how to calm him. And because of this, it was at times like these, Raistlin felt weaker than ever. Missing his brother was weakness to him; he could practically hear his queen laughing at him.

Eventually he got out of bed and changed robes. Judging by the faint light shining through the curtains on the other side of the room it was still around dawn. Irritated he started pacing back and forth on the floor.

He knew better than anyone that these dreams and the way he felt uneasy meant something more, but he just couldn't figure out what. Did it have something to do with the dark-elf he'd taken in the night before? There was something about her he couldn't quite place. She had a weird aura of something that he didn't understand.

She was obviously right when she said that she was nothing like her brother at all. Raistlin had been able to see straight through Dalamar every time he had something in mind that he hadn't told his beloved Shalafi. Raistlin stopped his pacing for a while and smirked slightly at the thought of his former apprentice.

Dalamar was a good wizard, no doubt about it – he was skilful and dedicated, but horribly indiscreet and careless. It was because of this he had been able to see right through him, and it was probably because of this he had suddenly vanished one day, without warning.

A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and Minos carefully opened the door. Raistlin nodded to him as he entered and turned towards the fireplace. He mumbled magical words and a fire started at his command. Without talking, Minos took the cauldron from over the fire, filled it half-full with water and put it back over the fire again. He put bread, cheese and some fruits on the table.

Raistlin knew that this was work meant for a servant, but Minos just did it; he'd never asked him to. Despite the fact that Raistlin looked down on Minos in so many ways, he was good and quiet company and he had a compassion for other people that reminded him so much of Caramon.

"Is the elf awake yet?" he asked his apprentice. Minos nodded. "Yes master, should I go get her?" Raistlin stared into the fires for a second, and then slowly nodded. Minos left the room and Raistlin sat down by the table. The faint light from the sunrise was getting more vigorous by the time Farahel quietly entered his rooms.

"I trust you found your rooms comfortable enough, dark-elf?" Raistlin asked, but didn't lift his head to look at her. He'd pulled his hood down over his face, hiding his expression under the hood. Farahel took place at the table opposite from him, and shrugged.

"I always sleep well but I sleep lightly," she said and didn't look at him. Raistlin lifted his head and removed his hood so that his iron-gray hair and golden skin was visible. Again, unlike most others, Farahel didn't pull away from his mysterious eyes, and this amused Raistlin beyond belief.

"Please," Raistlin offered with a smirk and motioned at the food on the table. Farahel nodded, and took a slice of warm bread and cheese and started eating; Raistlin watched her silently. As Farahel didn't look up at him, he helped himself with some fruit, and they ate in silence.

"You apprentice," Farahel started after a while, "does he ever use magic or is he just here to serve you?" she asked and looked up at him as she'd finished eating. Raistlin leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.

"He does use magic," he replied in a faint whisper and looked up at her, trying to decipher the look in her eyes. "You find him weak, dark-elf?" she flinched.

So far, using the word 'dark-elf' to address his new apprentice had been the only satisfaction Raistlin had gotten out of her. He could sense that she had a general fear of him, but it wasn't like other people he encountered; she was silent, obedient and indifferent towards his scowls and words. Using her race to refer to her was the only thing he could press her with.

"I do, Shalafi," Farahel whispered after a while. Her face was calm, but her eyes were burning feverishly. "He is not good enough, by far," she silently concluded. Raistlin raised an eyebrow at her.

"You consider yourself better than him?" he asked, and she nodded slowly. Raistlin looked away and smiled. She was obviously going to be an interesting challenge. He got up from his seat and walked over to the fireplace where the water was now boiling. Preparing his medicine was a routine these days; he'd grown sicker as the summer slowly changed into autumn.

"The brew you're taking," Farahel inquired silently, "What is it?" Raistlin didn't answer right away as he put his herbs in the goblet of boiling water and a bitter scent filled the air. He went back to his chair and sat down.

"Medicine," he said slowly as he took a sip of the bitter drink. "Herbs I've gathered myself. My master from the time I was an apprentice myself found them for me, it helps me keep my coughing to a minimum." He looked up at her and saw a slight look of surprise on her face.

"You look surprised, dark-elf?" he asked and took another sip, "Why?"

Farahel shifted in her seat, and didn't answer. They sat in silence for a while; Raistlin finished his drink and eventually got up.

"Well, I have things to do," he said and walked over to her. Swiftly, he lowered his hand and brushed it across her cheek. A sudden pain as if he'd slapped her came over Farahel and she drew back in defence. Again, Raistlin's smirk was in place.

"I trust you're here to learn," he said, "and to learn, you have to access my spell-books; I just gave you a magical protection against their evil." He looked down on her, and she stared back up at him. "Believe me, dark-elf," he whispered and bent down so that his face was on the same level as hers, "The pain you would have to endure without my protection while reading my books would be excruciating."

For the first time, Farahel lowered her eyes from his gaze. The passion and fire burning in his eyes was almost frightening. Raistlin kept staring at her until she finally looked up at him.

"Yes Shalafi," she replied silently. Raistlin stood up and pulled his robes tighter around his body. He turned away from her and started towards the door.

"Shalafi," Farahel called after him, she'd gotten up from her seat as well. Raistlin stopped and turned towards her. "The protection…" Farahel started but her voice died as his glare was in place. "Just help yourself," Raistlin said and turned away from her again.

Raistlin finished the last flight of stairs and reached the door to his laboratory at the top of the tower. He stared at it for a second, and lifted his hand. The guardian next to him drew a sharp intake of breath (if such a thing is possible for someone with no soul or body).

"Master," he whispered in his hollow voice, "The guardians… They have grown wild, they…" he stopped mid-sentence as Raistlin turned towards his bodiless presence. The guardian lowered his head in respect, and drew slightly back. Satisfied, Raistlin turned back to the door and raised his hand once more. He slowly drew a line vertically down the door, and a faint clicking noise sounded.

He browsed through his hidden pockets and found the rusted key and slowly unlocked the door. The guardian behind him was moaning silently in fright.

"Shirak," he whispered and magical light shone from the staff in his hand. He slowly opened the door, prepared to face the guardians. He pushed the door open completely, but nothing happened. He took a small step into the room; still nothing. He muttered another magical word and the light from the staff grew into the dark shadows of the room. There were no guardians. Everything was exactly how he left it years ago when he'd locked it away.

There was a huge stone table in the middle of the room. Runes were magically forced into the grey stone, but the table was empty - almost empty, at least: there was a small stone chest with a vertical crack down the middle standing there. Raistlin walked closer to the table and let his fingers brush across the surface. His eyes wandered to the chest and the dried blood on the side of it. He stood there for a moment almost scowling at the chest before he quickly turned away with a growl. The guardian that had escorted him silently neared the table and fixed his empty eyes upon the chest. It was open, but there was nothing in it.

"Master," the guardian started, but he didn't finish the sentence. He'd turned to look at Raistlin, but he was now kneeling by the other wall. The guardian lowered his eyes again in respect. Raistlin sat in silence on the floor in front of the portal for a second, and then got up again, leaning heavily on his staff. His breath was short and staggered as he moved across the floor to the wall covered with books - Only blue ones, Fistandantilus' sacred work from Istar. He continued staring at them in silence for a long while, and then suddenly turned towards the guardian.

"You are not needed here anymore," he whispered. The guardian lowered his head and disappeared. As Raistlin turned back to the books a slight chill rushed down his spine. He turned his head slightly and scowled at the portal.

"You mock me," he said, "Just like you did last time." He turned away once more and without looking, reached up and took down one of the blue books. He silently walked over to the table, dropped the book there, sat down and started flipping the pages in search of that something that belonged in the stone chest.

Several hours later, Raistlin had concluded his search. Minos had called for him by telepathy several times, but he hadn't answered. He'd found what he was looking for. He closed the book with a loud 'bang', got up and left the laboratory.

Safe outside, he locked the door and moved his hand vertically up the door once again to secure it. He whispered words that would bring him back to his study. He felt the magic jerk him up and pull him through space until he stood, to his surprise, not inside his study but right outside the door. A smirk crept over his face as he realized what it was. He silently lifted his hand once more and brushed the back of it over the door. A magical shield shone over the door. He let out a slight chuckle.

'_So the dark-elf does not wish to be disturbed?' _he thought to himself, amused at this.

"Master," Minos said from behind him. Raistlin turned quickly and glared at his apprentice. "What are you doing, Minos? Sneaking around again?" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery, "I take it this is why you called for me?" Minos nodded silently. Raistlin let out another slight laugh.

"This is nothing, Minos," he continued. "I'm sure even you would've been able to reset this power-shield if you tried." Minos looked down and bowed silently. Raistlin kept scowling at him.

"Get back to your studies," he hissed, "if that's what you're here to do." Minos didn't look up nor answer; just silently whispered words to bring him back to his rooms. With a satisfied smirk Raistlin turned his attention back to the reinforced door. He carefully placed both of his hands flat on the door and closed his eyes, memorizing both of the formulas he was about perform. In a whisper, he started chanting. After a few seconds, his hands went through the shield and the door was free.

He started the next formula, slightly raising his voice so that it sounded more like an angry snake than a person chanting. A few seconds later the expected result was put into action; he heard a 'dump' and a shriek then another dump and then a sharp scream filled the hallway and tower. He slowly opened the door.

The small stone table in front of his desk was covered in black books and parchment. Next to the table was a chair knocked over, and there, on the floor laid Farahel; writhing and screaming in pain.

Raistlin silently walked past her, leaned his staff up against the wall behind his desk and sat down. He made a pyramid of his fingers, leaning his elbows on the desk and then he watched her. His face was completely empty and he didn't as much as flinch at her screams. After a while he muttered some words, and Farahel's screaming slowly subsided. Shakily, she got to her feet and breathed heavily, but didn't look at him.

"There will be no locked doors in my tower, dark-elf," Raistlin whispered, "especially not my own study; unless I'm the one to have locked it." He kept glaring at her as her breath slowly came back to normal, but she clenched her hand against her chest still.

"I trust you've learned your lesson?" Raistlin whispered as she sat down again. She was facing him but didn't look at him. She nodded silently and Raistlin raised an eyebrow. "I gave you a minor shock, dark-elf – you haven't lost your ability to speak," he mocked. Farahel sat up straight, but still avoided his eyes.

"Yes, Shalafi," she said through gritted teeth, "I understand." Raistlin leaned back in his seat and smiled at her with mock-innocence. "I'm glad," he said, "so what have you learned besides the lesson you just went through?" Farahel silently cleared her throat and fixed her eyes on the desk in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Shalafi," she said, "Though your work is most informative, I can't seem to find any reference as to where you learned it all," she whispered the last part of her sentence. Raistlin kept smiling and sighed the way a parent sighs when it has to explain to a child why it can't have candy before dinner.

"And you do not find it obvious?" he asked, and she shook her head. "No, Shalafi." Raistlin chuckled slightly. "Well, I see you have not yet touched Fistandantilus' work," he said, "why not?" At last, Farahel looked up at him. "I'm not interested in Fistandantilus, Shalafi. I'm interested in you," she said, "I want to know what happened and where you learned everything you know, I want to know where in time you were and what lead you to that particular knowledge," her voice died as Raistlin's smirk turned into a frown.

"Then you do not know enough about me to begin with, dark-elf," he said with his dangerous whisper. "Have you not yet learned that every time I crossed back and forth in time, I wasn't myself?" Farahel looked up at him, confusing shining in her eyes and Raistlin sighed.

"I suggest you visit Astinus in Palanthas if you want to know about history," he mocked and she lowered her head again. "Speaking of," Raistlin continued, "I have something I want to show you. But first, I have a question for you," he let his words hang in the air until she looked up at him.

"Why haven't you touched the books by Fistandantilus?" he asked, "I know for a fact that the first thing you learn at the tower in Wayreth is that he was the most powerful wizard ever," his eyes danced with mockery as she lowered her head again. Her head suddenly shot up again and her eyes met his with a feverish glow.

"I will not touch anything created by Fistandantilus," she said.


End file.
